!8: Good Bargain Pool Deck Plans Above Ground: November 2011

!±8± How to Winterize Your Above Ground Swimming Pool

When done properly, preparing your above ground pool for winter keeps the pool and its components in top shape, and helps make opening the pool again in spring a much easier task. Here are some easy to follow steps to guide you through winterizing your pool.

1. Balance the Water

The first step in winterizing your above ground pool is to make sure the water is chemically balanced. Water that is properly balanced will offer protection from corrosion and scale buildup that can take place when the pool is not in use. Adjust the chemical levels as needed. Ideal chemical levels are as follows:

pH: 7.2 - 7.6

Alkalinity: 80 - 120 parts per million

Calcium Hardness: 175 - 250 parts per million

Chlorine: 1 - 3 parts per million

2. Deck Equipment

Remove and store away all deck equipment. This includes ladders, stairs, and furniture, if applicable.

3. Clean the Pool

Using a pool brush, scrub down the sides and floor of your pool. Vacuum all loose dirt and debris. Cleaning your pool walls and floor will help prevent staining that can occur if dirt is allowed to sit in the pool for long periods of time.

4. Winterizing Chemicals

Add winterizing chemicals by spreading them into the deep end of the pool. Winterizing chemicals help protect the quality of your pool's water during the winter months.

5. Clean the Working Parts

Clean the skimmer, filter, and pump basket. Remove all unused chlorine from the chlorinator. Cartridge filter components and D.E. grids should be cleaned and stored away. If you have a sand filter, now is the time to backwash it.

6. Skimmer Considerations

Some pool owners insert a skimmer guard into the skimmer and plug the return line. Others choose to lower the water in the pool below the returns (where the water jets into the pool) and the skimmer. Either method is fine. The choice made is based on personal preference.

Important: Never completely drain an above ground pool -- this can cause your pool to collapse.

7. Plumbing

If your pool is plumbed with detachable, flexible hoses, remove them and store away for the winter. Remove all drain plugs from the filter tank, pump, and other pool equipment. Follow instructions provided by the manufacturer for your specific equipment. Place all drain plugs inside the pump basket for convenient storage.

Alternatively, if your pool is hard plumbed, use an air compressor or shop vacuum (attached to the blower side of the vacuum) to blow water out of the system. This forces air down the skimmer and through the plumbing.

8. Air Pillows

If you use an air pillow, inflate it by using a shop vacuum. Tie the air pillow at two places and position it in the center of the swimming pool. Tie the strings to the pool wall so the pillow will not move while the pool cover is being installed. Air pillows are commonly used with winter pool covers, but they are not absolutely necessary. Air pillows are recommended for colder climates where water in the swimming pool freezes and expands. In these cases, the water will freeze inwards on the air pillow instead of outwards which can potentially damage the pool wall. Pillows are not intended to create a dome-like effect for keeping rain off of the pool cover. Rain water will always settle around the pillow.

9. Winter Pool Cover

Place an above ground winter pool cover over the pool's surface, dark side down. Some pool owners who also have children or pets may prefer to cover the pool with a safety cover over the winter.

If covering your pool with a winter cover, place the cover over the pool, then thread the cable through the grommets or loops. Use the winch provided with the pool cover to tighten the cable.

If your above ground pool has a deck, place wall bags end to end around the edge of the pool. Fill the bags 3/4 full with water. Do not over-fill the bags because they can burst when the water inside freezes. Never use concrete blocks, bricks, etc. to secure the cover because they can damage your pool cover or your pool.

10. Cover Pump

Place a cover pump in the center of your pool cover to drain excess water that will accumulate over the course of the winter. Too much water on top of the cover can cause the cover to rip, or it can pull the cover and wall bags into the pool. Either situation creates a messy clean up situation.